Kim Boyes figures she’s known Doug Jackson for about two years. Most of that time she supported Doug as a PSW on the Egerton neighbourhood of The Village of Riverside Glen where he made his home until recently, when his health needs necessitated a move to Mapleton in the Village’s long-term care neighbourhoods.
Doug and Kim celebrating St. Patrick's Day together. Kim says
the CONNECT The Dots customer service training has helped
the team at Riverside Glen support Doug even better.
Kim wasn’t keen on the idea of moving Doug. She’d come to know him well in the past two years, understanding what he likes while recognizes how certain interactions can trigger expressions of frustration or agitation from within Doug’s complex personality.
She wasn’t sure a new team would be able to support Doug to his particular standard, and she worried he wouldn’t do well in his new neighbourhood. Kim had reason to hope, however, for she had the opportunity to see the Mapleton team in action during the CONNECT The Dots customer experience training they received under her facilitation as a Master Trainer.
The 7.5 hour CONNECT the Dots program is built upon a philosophical foundation of five key values: KNOW ME as a unique human being; BE PRESENT in all communications; WALK IN MY SHOES to try to understand how I feel; EARN TRUST by being clear, genuine and transparent; and FOLLOW THROUGH, all the way. The program is designed to offer team members a different perspective on supporting residents and families, and Kim was hopeful that these philosophical pillars would hoist Doug into a successful transition.
After the move she would often stop into the Mapleton to check in on Doug, and she was happy with what she saw, especially once she began to visit less and the team began to bond with their new resident.
“They truly stepped up,” Kim says. “The team members on Mapleton, they took the time to get to know Doug, walk in his shoes and understand where he was coming from. They followed through with the things they said they’d do and, all around, it was an exceptional experience for him.”
She still pops by to see him once in a while, but she no longer worries about him, for she knows he is comfortable and well cared for by people who share her values, and approach to customer service.
“I definitely think that CONNECT The Dots had something to do with this,” Kim says. “The team truly stepped up and saw Doug for who he was; from start to finish they just did and excellent job of connecting everything that matters.”
Doug now spends more time out of his room in positive interactions with fellow residents and team members, and his personal expressions are far less likely to present challenges. The team sees him, Kim says, not a diagnosis or a stereotype. They see Doug for who he is, and that is what true customer service should look like.
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